Now Linux gets the treatment.

This is somewhat off our usual beat, and I am the last person to come to for for an opinion on computer stuff – but here’s an email I received, which I shall reproduce for reader interest.

Hi.

I’d like to draw your attention to a remarkably ill-conceived article on the current “MyDoom” virus at

this link.

Almost every paragraph contains either errors or gross distortions of fact, and the presentation of personal opinion as fact. Not to mention

an extremely one-sided view of SCO’s lawsuit against IBM.

Some facts:

The MyDoom virus has nothing to do with Linux. It is a Windows virus that exploits the general lack of security on Windows machines. It is true that it is designed to launch a denial of service attack on SCO (in version “A” of the virus) or Microsoft (in the less-common version “B”), but its main function is to turn the victim’s computer into an “open relay” to be used for sending spam. In fact, this seems to be the purpose behind a number of recent and widespread Windows viruses.

SCO, despite all its bluster, and despite court deadlines, has so far

presented no evidence whatsoever that backs up its claims. Two supposed examples that became public were quickly shown to be code that SCO had no claims to.

A discussion of the article is taking place on Slashdot right now.

Regards,

Andrew Maizels

(Pixy Misa of Ambient Irony)